Editing, oh the words make my stomach hurt. While this is one of Steve and my least favorite things to do it’s a must. Before the first word of the book even went down on the page, I knew that we needed an editor. Why? It was simple. A writer’s job is to write, and an editor’s job is to edit.
While Steve can hold his own in the world of words, he was not an editor and I struggle with dyslexia, so it was a no brainer that the book had to go to an editor before it was published.
When I hired my first editor, I had no clue where to start. After hours of research and talking to other Bestselling Authors, I learned that the best way to get started was with an interview. Where I can ask the editor questions most importantly this allows both parties the opportunity to make sure they can meet the expectations and obtain deadlines.
This is a business deal
One thing to keep in mind when hiring an editor is you are making a business deal. You need to make sure that you're upfront with what you expect like deadlines and time frames for completion. Make sure that the editor can meet your expectations and that you can meet the editor's expectations. When someone misses a deadline it has a domino effect on everything else.
Most editors will ask for a word count and sample of your writing. This is how they price you out. Pull the sample of your writing from the middle of the manuscript. Most times writers spend a lot of time on the first couple chapters as things seem to jump out. As you get more into the story the quality of writing and punctuation can go down. This is also where storylines can get messed up.
You want to make sure that they see the worst part of your writing so that they can price you out properly making sure they can handle the workload. In return this allows the editor to set deadlines they can meet? Communication is key to having a good experience.
TIP: I always recommend a written contract outlining the expectations of both parties.
Time
Some editors are quick, and some can take weeks if not months to get the manuscript through one around. Depending on the time of year this can change how quickly things get done. A good editor can book out months in advance, so waiting until the last minute is not a good idea. Since writing is my full-time job and not a side project, waiting months before I get edits back would not work. I need to be upfront with what I expect so they can meet the deadlines.
My editor is great at getting me my first-round back in one-two weeks. I try my hardest to make sure that my calendar is cleared on the weeks that I expect to get edits back. Making the correction and return it to them as quickly as possible. I try to get my side of the edits done in 3 days or no longer than a week. Making the whole process about a month and a half long depending on the length of the book.
Hiring an Editor
Keep in mind that life happens. I found this out the hard way with our first book. "Cut the Crap & Move to Costa Rica". Deadlines with my editor were set so we could hit the publication date. I was right on track. The only thing left was the last round of edits.
Then the storm hit.
We had one of the worst storms in history hit Costa Rica. Tropical Storm Nate hit, and we lost internet one hour before the last round of edits come in. I had no internet for over a week pushing my publication date out.
Finding An Editor
Keep in mind that life happens. I found this out the hard way with our first book. "Cut the Crap & Move to Costa Rica". Deadlines with my editor were set so we could hit the publication date. I was right on track. The only thing left was the last round of edits.
Then the storm hit.
We had one of the worst storms in history hit Costa Rica. Tropical Storm Nate hit, and we lost internet one hour before the last round of edits come in. I had no internet for over a week pushing my publication date out.
Finding An Editor
There are many places to find an Editor.
Some people go to Fiver or LinkedIn. These are the social media platform where people can post their online resume. It's a great place to find people looking for work.
I have found both of my editors online in Facebook groups. They came highly recommended. I was very pleased with the outcome of both of my books.
Another area to find an editor is the local colleges and universities. I recommend talking to somebody in the Journalism or Writing Department.
TIP:
If you're going with a big Five-star Publishing House they usually provide editing. Unless you have a pre-existing contract. I would highly recommend edited before sending it to a publisher.
Editing can be Costly
Yes, editing can be costly, but it all depends on how you do it.
Most of the time an editor is going to cost you. I've talked to authors who have spent nothing on editing spent and some who have spent a fortune on it. Most authors, I talked to spend one to three thousand dollars. It all depends on the manuscript and the quality of editing you want.
Remember this is a business the product that you put out will determine if people buy from you again. After a couple of bad reviews about bad grammar, it becomes hard to sell more books. It's unlikely that libraries and stores will stock your book if there are grammar problems. Most importantly making money becomes almost impossible.
I see many authors trying to skimp on this part. I hear things like: “I have a family member or a good friend who is good with grammar they would be willing to take a look at it. Most of the time this backfires and what could have been a great book gets bad reviews because of grammar, spelling, or any number of language mistakes.
I have seen train wrecks where authors have pulled their books after publishing to resend it back through an editor because they got nasty reviews. It's not only costly to pull a book and redo it. This can cost you readers and fans that might not buy your next book because of a bad experience.
What if you Just Can't Afford an Editor
I recommend a couple of different things. Jump into Facebook groups where authors and editors hang out and see if you can exchange work. Take what you are good at and offer to help them in exchange for them helping you.
Doing this is exactly how I was able to get my first Cookbook edited. I had done some work for Bestselling Author Barbra Rodgers whom I met in a Facebook group a year before. One of her skills was editing, she would do my editing if I would help her with Pay-Per-Click-Ads. I have seen people do this from websites to photography.
Everyone is good at something take your skill and trade it out.
Another way is to or go to the local college and talk to the English, Journalism, or Literature departments to see if a student can do the work. Some professors will give students credit or allow them to do it for a class project. This is a win-win situation. You're able to help a student while building a working relationship. An added plus is being able to get feedback from a college professor.
